Press Release 22.01.2026

Contaminated baby food: foodwatch files complaint against Nestlé and authorities

  • politics and law
  • Transparency and food safety

Scandal spreads: Danone and Lactalis also affected

In the scandal over contaminated baby food, foodwatch is in the process of filing a complaint in France against Nestlé and other companies, as well as the responsible authorities. The international consumer organisation accuses the companies and authorities in European countries of warning the public too late. It took weeks to alert consumers and concerned parents. The case shows once again that the traceability obligation that food operators have under the EU General Food law, is not being implemented and enforced correctly, foodwatch criticised.

Meanwhile, recalls are continuing in more countries and from more companies: in addition to Nestlé, companies such as the multinational dairy group Lactalis, Granarolo (Italy) and Hochdorf (Switzerland) are now also recalling infant food products due to contamination with the toxin cereulide. Yesterday, Lactalis recalled six batches of Picot brand infant formula, due to an issue related to an international supplier that affects 18 countries including Spain. The recalled Lactalis product batches in France had been on sale since January 2025: a whole year. Danone removed products from the shelves in Singapore and the authorities have also requested the blocking of a batch meant for their market. 

The recalls are due to an issue with a raw material. foodwatch has received confirmation that the supplier of the cereulide-contaminated ingredient in question, arachidonic acid (ARA), is based in China. Some French sources even link the Chinese supplier with the multinational Cargill. foodwatch emphasises that companies have an obligation to comply with European regulations on traceability and information to authorities and consumers. Giants such as Nestlé and Lactalis must ensure the safety of their products.

“In this scandal, there is a glaring lack of transparency on the part of Nestlé, which has been carrying out recalls in dribs and drabs since December and even ‘silent withdrawals’ in some countries without informing consumers”, said Ingrid Kragl from foodwatch France. “Information is now pouring in, but answers are sorely lacking. We discovered that the contaminated infant formula had been on sale for months. foodwatch has therefore asked its lawyer to file a complaint to shed light on this case. The complaint will target several companies, including Nestlé and Lactalis, and question the role of the authorities in this matter.” 

The Italian authorities already had laboratory results showing contamination with cereulide on 1 December 2025 and shared them on RASFF on 12 December.* Nestlé itself informed the Dutch food authorities on 9 December 2025 about contamination with the toxin cereulide following internal checks at a factory in the Netherlands. However, the Dutch authorities did not initiate a public recall, which foodwatch criticised. It remains completely unclear why this did not happen. France recalled a single batch of Nestlé powdered milk on 11 December 2025. Nestlé was already informed of this contamination by its supplier in December, an official source confirmed to foodwatch. But it was not until 5 January 2026 that a public recall was issued by Nestlé in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland among others, and the report on the RASFF portal was extended to around 60 countries worldwide. By now, the Nestlé recall affects more than 800 products originating from more than ten Nestlé factories – it is the largest recall campaign in the company's history, according to a statement from the Austrian government. The recall from Lactalis is currently concerning 18 countries. 

Cereulide can cause nausea and vomiting in babies and, in rare cases, life-threatening poisoning. The toxin is sometimes not detected in the raw powder but is present when water is added.

*In an earlier version, it said: The Italian authorities already made an entry in the EU rapid alert system (RASFF) on 1 December 2025. Correct is: The Italian authorities already had laboratory results showing contamination with cereulide on 1 December 2025, but did not share them on RASFF until 12 December.

Sources and additional information